Anything But Potatoes
by bluelilywater
Summary: Kariya and Uzuki have set aside their personal issues to maintain a contented balance—something that they will need to draw upon as their vacation ends. COMPLETE and sequel to A Faulty Challenge
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**  
The Benefits of Waking Early

Uzuki was an early riser, and she liked to think it gave her an advantage over Kariya. When he didn't keep her up until the early hours, she figured it did.

So it was seven-thirty and she was leaning over a cup of tea, swirling the bag around and giving a yawn. Tomorrow, the game would start again for the first time since Sakuraba's session had jacked up.

Kariya always suggested that the last day she should relax and have some fun before the week started. She considered her tea, then with another great yawn, stretched her arms above her head. Her flung hands knocked the mug back in the action and spilled it all over the counter. "Dammit," she muttered, and leaned over to nab a paper towel or two.

She continued to yawn as she soaked up the tea, tossing the towels in the trash when she was done. Her shirt was wet due to shoddy work on being careful, and she was forced consequentially to change it– to something other than her favorite outfit. She shrugged on a plaid shirt over her bra and buttoned it up, imagining all the things she would do to Kariya when he finally woke up.

He had kept her up late– to paint with her. He had cleared out his room and everything because she had 'nagged' at him about his awful, horrid puce walls for long enough. Finally, he was bothered to do it, but he dragged her down with him. It had been going well until he became bored. He evidently thought flicking paint on her was amusing. That had resulted in many things, one of which being a very long shower in watching the multiple colors he had produced go down the drain.

However, his walls had turned out very interesting and almost tasteful. Perhaps she didn't regret having to stay up late, but she knew that she would never let him know that.

It had taken him exactly one night to return exactly back to normal from the sugar mishap. She accepted him how he came because there was very little she could do. Anything she thought of had a risk paired with it. She would have had given anything for him to be the Kariya she knew again, so now, she decided to keep it that way. If he was better forgetting it all, so was she– or so she told herself.

Getting certain pictures out of her head was the trouble. The butterflies that ensued were the worst. They started coming as soon as she forgot how to be mad at him. He'd smirk, and her mind would go to his lips on hers. Twice. His eyelashes brushing her cheek and how he had to bend himself a little over to kiss her, his fingers in her hair and– no, stop.

Uzuki let out a groan of distress and knocked her head against her closet doors. "I hate his ugly face," she muttered. She did. It was hideous. Awful. Good-for-nothing.  
A sigh followed her back to the kitchen, where she prepared a new mug of tea and shimmied herself up onto the counter. Who needed chairs, anyway, when you had counters?

She drank her tea, read the comics in the paper, had a piece of toast, brushed her teeth, and had no idea what to do after that. Only eight forty-five.

Hands on her hips, she stared at the clock, going through her own brain's suggestions.

Breaking into Kariya's apartment sounded like a good idea- but she needed a reason. A reason and something to do when she got there.

So it took a while for her to gather what she wanted together. On the way out, she grabbed two bobby-pins, shoving them into her hair.

* * *

Shibuya was just getting warm when she walked through the streets. People were already out- some faster and more urgent than others.

She still didn't have a key to his apartment- his reasoning being that if he wasn't awake to let her in, he didn't want her in there. "Besides," he had told her, "You're with me every second otherwise."

She scowled as she walked up his apartment building steps. When she reached his door, she dropped her bag on the mat and fished for the bobby pins. It was just as easy picking his crappy lock as it had been the time before, and she had it open in no time.

Picking up her things, she slid in through the door and closed it quietly. It wasn't her goal to wake him this time.

What she didn't expect was a Kariya curled up on the couch. It caused her to freeze at first, then she realized to some endearment that he was asleep. He wasn't a light sleeper either.

One leg was up against himself with the other stretched out. His right arm draped itself over his eyes with his hand limp and curled next to his ear. His other arm was up close to his chest, and he wore the paint-splattered black t-shirt that looked exactly like the walls of his room.

She hefted her bag and made her way to the kitchen, which was a little more difficult than usual. He had shoved the furniture from his bedroom into all the empty spaces.

She set out her things and found a tupperware to crack the eggs into. The previously measured (more like haphazardly thrown in because it didn't even matter really) spices, milk and orange juice went in with the eggs.

The pan was heated to cook the soaked bread to a sweet golden color. A pot of brown sugar in corn syrup, vanilla, and cream thickened on the side. All of this was done as quietly as she could manage, and he only shifted once.

It was a little harder not to disturb him when cleared the coffee table, but by the end of it, she had created a small breakfast area.

When she sat down near his foot, she watched as he curled up further and turned his face into the pillow with a small groan.

"Hey."

He took a small breath, muffled by his arm.

"Hey, loser, wake up."

She got him to open his eyes, blinking. His eyes settled on the food first, then swung around to her. Half drunk on sleep, he squeezed his eyes shut, then blinked a few times more, stretching a little. His words were loose and lazy when he said, "This going to become a problem?"

"You don't seriously have a problem with me making you breakfast, do you?" she retorted, pulling her feet up and hugging her legs. "You should be grateful." He yawned in response to her pout, stifling it with a wrist and pushing himself up to a sit. He winced when he moved his shoulder and rubbed at it a little.

"More like... Sleep deprived. As in, I'm not sure my brain can appreciate when my body has different priorities at such ungodly hours," said he.

"Nine is not ungodly."

"It is when you've stayed up 'til three," he pointed out, but nonetheless, he considered the breakfast further and had enough grace to say, "But this looks delicious. I appreciate the effort."

And she, who could never suppress her reactions when it came to compliments, grinned a little in pride. "My mama used to make it on Sundays."

"Cheers to your mom," he said, and smiled back as he reached for a plate.

"All it's missing is strawberries."

"I don't think I mind."

She, too, grabbed a French toast and poured the syrup over it. It tasted like home, to her- but such nostalgics never were a bother and she enjoyed it just fine.

* * *

"I see you didn't change your shirt," she began, when everything was finished and he was stacking the dishes.

He glanced down, then over at her. "_I_ see you decided to wear something different for once," he said in return.

She tugged at her shirt gently. "It was behind everything else."

"It looks alright, Uzuki. You should change it up more often," he replied, and that 'alright' was really a compliment, she knew.

She followed him to the kitchen, moving with and around him as they cleaned everything up. "Hm. Okay. I will if you will."

"Change something up every day?" he clarified. He brushed shoulders with her as he passed to the sink. The smell of paint followed.

"Anything."

Uzuki watched his bony fingers rub at the plates and he did it slowly, yet swiftly, thinking. "For how long?"

"Well it doesn't have to be radical. Let's just-" she paused, shrugging. "-keep it that way."

A smile showed on his face. "Guess we're going shopping, then. Because, you know, I only own five or so shirts."

"But you're good on underwear. You're too cool to wear any." She stifled a giggle- more like a hiccup- when he gave a bark of laughter.

"God, Uzuki. Give that up, will you?" He looked over his shoulder at her and flicked water into her eyes. She scrunched up her nose and blinked a little. "See? Underwear."

His thumb hooked in his belt loop and he jerked his waistband down. Red plaid showed before he hitched them back up.

She smirked, wiping at her face a little, and gathered her stuff together while he finished cleaning.

"Before shopping, I have to drop over at my apartment. Get rid of all this crap," she told him- to which he responded with "Didn't taste like crap."

"Hard to botch French toast, really."

He made a noise of confirmation, drying his hands before saying, "Yeah okay, I'll go with you. Just let me get some stuff."

* * *

She waited as he weaved around the clutter in the room, hitching his bag up his shoulder and fishing out his keys. "Right. So. Shopping. Then what?" he asked as he closed the door behind them and they made their way down the hallway.

"Massages? Lunch? Cleaning up your apartment?" she suggested.

His chuckle was more of a patient scoff. "You wish."

"We have to get your crap back into your room, anyway," she reasoned.

He gave her a pointed look, stepping out onto the streets of Shibuya. "Not crap. And I'll do what I want with my stuff on my own."

In response to his look, she returned it with a melting, pleading gaze.

"Stop." His eyes had widened a little, and he halted mid-step, swiveling to face her with an accusing finger shooting out to jab her in the nose. "Stop that."

She swatted his finger away, and dropped her gaze to her boots. "Please?"

"Why," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets, "on Earth would you want to go through my things so badly? There's nothing in there."

"You claim," she quipped. "And yet you refuse to let me help you."

His eyebrows shot up. "Help," said he. "Help with what. I'm not drowning, and I'm fine with my apartment as it is, thanks."

"It's a pigsty."

"It has a character."

She inhaled long and deep through her nose. "You're hiding something."

"I am not! I just don't want your hands all over my stuff!" His shoulders scrunched up, but he made an effort to work himself loose again. It was only when Uzuki kept jabbing at the same things like this that he got riled up at first- but as she kept persisting, he would adjust. However, her persistence with cleaning his apartment clearly rubbed him the wrong way. Consistently.

They had somehow completely switched mindsets on the state of his apartment. A few weeks ago, Uzuki would have rather lived again than clean his apartment. Now, Kariya knew that a deep-clean would conveniently fulfill her new ulterior motives. This made him protective and bothered.

"All you have to say is yes," she said slowly. "I won't damage anything."

His mouth thinned, fingers fiddling at the strap of his bag. After a moment, he said, "I'll think of something."

"For?"

"A challenge. I don't know. Something." He began to walk again. "Something you won't win," he added.

Her blue eyes showed a wicked spark- ignited by the challenge. Her expression maintained that interest for a while as they walked in silence, invisible among the crowds.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**  
To Change or Not to Change

She left him waiting outside as she ran up to her apartment. Everything was shoved into the fridge and her purse was grabbed in under three minutes.

Outside, he stood next to the door, people-watching. The bright and new sunlight splayed across his features in shadows. It was a little different without the usual tinge of glassy orange.

"Where have your glasses gone?"

At first surprised, his eyebrows shot up, and then he put a hand to his eyes as if he hadn't truly realized they were missing. After they had started walking again and another minute, he said, "Oh yeah. They broke."

"What?" Her voice had raised itself on its own. "Why? What happened to them?"

"M'not sure. Must've broken when I was moving the furniture."

"Like... How much broken?" she asked, somewhat pathetically.

"On a scale of one to ten- ten being obliterated- I'd say four," he told her, shrugging.

"That's not too bad," she mused.

"Still cracked, though. Nothing's immortal," he said, and gave her a cheeky wink, eyes crinkling.

"God, Kariya-"

"Well, and then there's Him."

The sudden air-conditioning in ten-four reminded them how quickly Shibuya went from cool to warm in the mornings.

A frustrated noise grated out of her throat as she pressed the heels of her palms against her eyes.

She felt his hand hook her elbow and pull her off track. "Woah there. Pole."

Stumbling a little, she removed her hands, and pushed him away. She glanced back at the previously threatening pole and shifted her bag. "Whatever."

* * *

Ten-four had what appeared to be an endless amount of shops. Kariya considered the map, then abruptly decided to choose on a whim– and did just that.

The first one they went into had mostly fancier dress, and he spent most of his time looking at nice button-ups. Occasionally he would ask her opinion and she would pull faces at him according to the ones he held up.

When he seemed to be a bit lost, she asked if it was really his style. "All this," she said.

He tapped his lips with a finger and considered her. "Well, what my style was before I started wearing the same thing isn't exactly 'in' right now. I'm just… trying new things."

Grabbing a few shirts and a couple vests he was particularly attached to, he disappeared into the changing room. Uzuki was left running her hands over cotton and flannel. She was investigating a rack of scarves that came off as illogical to her when he came up behind. He wore a grey vest over a soft blue plaid button-up.  
A few things were mismatched, and his hair was a conundrum, but the over-all effect was dizzying. She wanted to touch his arms under those rolled up sleeves and smooth her fingers over every inch of him.

Naturally, she refrained, but encouraged the look with little hesitation.

* * *

"Ever try a darker color? Like auburn?" she asked as he grabbed the bags of new clothes and followed her out the door.

"For my hair, you mean?" One eyebrow was raised and his fingers worked to a more comfortable position around the handles. "You trying to tone me down, or something? Change me into a different man?"

She snorted. "Okay. I get it. Do what you want."

His smile was warm, but his brown eyes teased. "Will do."

The next shop was her choice and she spent more time than he had trying to find shirts she liked. He found some plainer, less warm shirts and a new pair of jeans. She scrutinized every outfit she came across.

After she settled on some things, shoe-shopping took up another hour. By the end of it all, a pit-stop at their apartments seemed necessary.

"Then lunch," she told him.

"Yes. Lunch," he agreed.

* * *

"Man, vacations are expensive," he said, peering into his wallet.

"Lucky the new day starts tomorrow," she replied, wiping her hands on a napkin. Her fingers curled around her burger– wonderfully high-quality– and took a bite. The savory flavor stayed crisp and warm in her mouth.

His eyes flickered to her, distracted by her hum of delight. "Yup."

She swallowed and stared back until he blinked. Suddenly taken aback by the fact that he had been watching her, he turned to his food with something like a blush.

Her insides fluttered bizarrely in response where the urge to hug her stomach was immediate. She would have except for the hamburger. She continued to eat it instead, eyes wide.

Clearing his throat quietly, he took a fry and dipped it in his shake. "Seen Sakuraba about?" he asked, and sounded almost demure.

She had to swallow first. "Why?"

He pinched another fry. "It's just been awhile."

"No, I haven't." Her burger was almost done. "Hope this session will make some sense."

"Overall, I thought it was exciting," he said, smiling a little.

"But painful."

Kariya winced.

"And frightening," she added. She watched as he cracked his knuckles, looking down.

He sighed, then gave a different, wry smile. "But we _survived_."

"True."

"And think of it this way- if we weren't only harriers, maybe we wouldn't have." He propped his chin on his fist, straight-up grinning, now.  
Uzuki licked her fingers, shaking her head. "Yeah. But you're not going to change my goals, Kariya."

"Fair enough." He was still smiling, but it was as if he had forgotten it was there.

After a moment more, he shook himself and finished his food, for once faster than Uzuki. She took her time with her own shake, and he marveled at the appetites of the dead. He also wondered what she saw in strawberry-flavored beverages and sweets. Kariya was more an original, 'vanilla or chocolate' sort of guy. Yet he supposed all fruit-tasting things had their virtues.

"What could you possibly be thinking of?" she asked, and bit at her straw.

He blinked at her, and she found he still looked odd without his glasses. "Food."

Her eyes looked at the ceiling. "You _just_ ate!"

Knuckles against his lips, he grinned. He never was too far away from smiling. "Just in general."

She stood, stretching her arms above her head. "Not too bad a topic."

"'Specially when French toast comes to mind."

She wrinkles her nose at him fondly. "Agreed."


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Sorry! This one took a while. I had to background-check a few things.  
I thought maybe I would make this one longer, but I think I'll try to stick to shorter chapters this time around._

So this is Day 1! Nothing significant, but I hope you enjoy. The next chapter should pick up the plot.  


* * *

**Chapter 3  
**Day 1

Uzuki woke up early, and as per usual during game weeks, so did Kariya.

It was tradition to start off the week spending all the loose change they had accumulated during the vacations on quality ice cream. No one was ever up at the hour they went except for the shop owner, who knew them quite well.

She sat at one of the tables with a bowl of raspberry and white chocolate drizzle. He sat down across from her with a chocolate, toffee, vanilla and caramel swirl.

"I don't know how you can start out the day sweet," she said, eyes resting on the grey swipes of sleeplessness under his eyes.

Kariya sighed, slouching over his bowl, spoon drooping. "I don't mind." He wore a blue cotton and polyester shirt with cool grey shorts and moccasins. He was currently in the act of stabbing a vein of caramel swirl. "But even with ice cream, early mornings suck."

Nodding, she sucked on her spoon. "I can tell you think so."

Uzuki looked considerably more perky, but not exactly refreshed. Deciding what to wear was surprisingly easy, as she had her favorite outfit already. It was a petit dress of bold, warm fireworks against a white cloth. Sleeveless and simple, she could have some fun with her makeup. She played with orange tones instead of her usual pink. It was rather refreshing.

"Well, are you excited for this session?" she asked.

He swallowed. "I'm trying not to have any expectations, but I suppose I'm neutrally excited."

Grinning, she rolled her eyes. "Oh shut up. You're excited, just tired. Such a drama queen."

Lips twitching at the corners, he focused on his ice cream. Moments later, he said, "Says you."

"What?" She had to speak around a spoonful of ice cream.

"Says the Empress of all Drama Queens."

Normally, she might've snapped back without thinking, but the fact that he was putting up an effort to argue at all made her smile. "You'd be bored without me, and you know it."

"Maybe." He still wasn't looking up.

She laced her fingers, then unlaced them. Picking up her spoon, she announced, "I have a question."

"Heaven forbid."

"Actually, more a rule really."

"Good god."

"Kariya, shut up!" She jabbed her spoon in his direction, then spooned some ice cream before continuing. "I say that a challenge must be dictated in less than a day or it is assumed that any action goes unchallenged."

His eyes wrinkled after a moment. "You literally just talked in a circle."

Uzuki splayed her fingers toward him, shaking her hair out of her eyes. "I'm just saying that unless you give me a challenge soon, I have every right to peruse your pigsty collection."

Rubbing at his eyes, he groaned. "Look, Uzuki, have you ever heard of respecting the wants of your friends?" he said bluntly.

This made her pout, which he promptly ignored.

She sulked until she had eaten every spoonful and Kariya stood with a "my pockets feel much lighter". He also looked much lighter without his darker washes and sugar now in his blood.

"You ready?" he asked, taking up her bowl.

Her face brightened visibly. "Yes, actually. I'm going to win that promotion."

His expression was thoughtful. "I reckon you could. There aren't many people above us, right now."

"Got our work cut out for us," she said, nodding. Her pink waves bobbed against her shoulders.

Kariya sighed, fishing around in his bag. He pulled out a lollipop as he waved to the shop owner and said to Uzuki, "Well, let's get started, then."

* * *

No one bothered with introduction when the weeks started. You got the information when you were new, and stayed with you like the wings on your back. So, when the game started, you would just know, as a reaper. There was a different feel about the air- not just the grey city taste. Your skin would tingle imperceptibly, but so obviously that you felt like leaping. It was a bright, exciting, competitive mind frame that set in as soon as the first minute started.

Kariya showed it in his eyes, and it was so much more obvious without the light of his sunglasses. He seemed stronger and almost dangerous if you looked at him a certain way. Uzuki just _looked_ louder, like static energy just dancing on the surface of her skin. She was less toned down and more excitable, and she enjoyed it.

They both recognized the players differently. Kariya saw the death on their skin and movements like an imprint. Uzuki felt them like whining mosquitoes on the edge of her vision.

They stood on the edge of the crowd, not moving much, and people, without knowing exactly why, gave an invisible subject a decent berth.

"Almost wish we were around to see some of these people die," Uzuki said, eying a young woman in the crowd with platinum hair. "What do you think she did for a living?"

Kariya grinned. "She looks like a college freshman to me. Someone who sits at bars and feels lonely. Maybe-"

"A stripper?"

He barked out a laugh, rubbing at his eyes with a trace of sleepiness. "Harsh."

Uzuki smiled, running her hands through her hair. "So their mission today?"

He glanced at a passing older man with a squashed nose who appeared to be sweating profusely at the hairline. "Same as always."

"Any pairs?"

His eyes flitted around, taking in all the panicked dead. "I see one."

She perked up like a bright flower, leaning up on her toes to peer over heads. For precaution, he pinched one of her wings in case some fool jolted her balance. He shoved his other hand in one pocket. "See them?"

Uzuki squinted, then said, "Think so! Redhead and blond?"

"I could debate over that 'read head', but yes."

"Strawberry-blonde?"

"That's better."

She leaned back again, twitching her wing out of his fingers. "It'll be time soon, then. Should we give the rest a minute?"

His eyebrows raised themselves without bidding. "When have you ever waited?"

Her hands propped themselves on her hips. "I've exercised restraint!"

"Since when?" he asked. "Give me an example."

Silver pins appearing in her fingers, she said, "Just now. Seconds, Kariya! Valuable seconds!"

A grin flittered onto his face for just a moment. "Are we splitting up?" he managed to ask before she outright just disappeared.

"Sure!"

Uzuki's pink hair swung from side to side as she shoved her way into the crowd. "Control yourself!" he warned, calling over heads.

"Roger!" she called back, and was gone.

For a moment, he just stood there, playing his pins between his fingers. A second more, and his eyes had located a boy who looked like he deserved to be dead.

He didn't last long.

* * *

"How many?" she asked, ankles crossed.

"Seventeen."

She covered her face, face crumpling to frustration. "You _always _one-up me!"

Kariya rubbed his knuckles thoughtfully, giving a shrug. "Guess that just means you're buying ramen tonight."

Uzuki scowled.


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note_: Apologies again! I've been spending my time making a present for one of my friends, but I managed to write this and part of the next chapter in my spare time. Hopefully I'll be able to write it fairly quickly.  
Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 4**  
Day 2- Start

"So, we have a decent number of partners this time." Kariya cracked his knuckles slowly, watching as Uzuki wove small strands of her hair into a braid. It looked a bit difficult for her, but she managed.

He leaned against the counter and passed her mug of coffee to his other side, nudging her leg. She picked it up and asked, "Does it look alright?" while holding the braid out with her other fingers.

His noise of confirmation was not convincing to her. She placed her hand over the lip of his own mug, making him pull away. This time, though still a tad surprised, he gave a firm, "It could look better."

Just barely refraining to force his coffee down his front (for the sake of his new clothes alone), she tugged out the braid angrily. "YOU do it, then!"

He placed his mug on the counter, swung around to face her, and took a small bit of her hair between his fingers. "Who's crabby this morning?" he wondered aloud.

A huff of air blew out from her nose like a discontent, particularly diverting dragon.

His fingers tugged gently, face assuming a blank focus. "You're good at this," Uzuki mumbled.

"Bobby pins," he requested. Her fingers fumbled blindly for the ones on the counter, then held them out in his direction. He pinched the braid and pinned it back into her small, brush-like ponytail. "There."

"Thank you," she said, then decided to push a little again. "How'd you learn to braid?"

His expression turned around to a more amused look. "Are you asking due to my gender? My hair happens to be just as long as yours."

She bit the lip of her coffee cup, then turned noncommittal. "I dunno." He was becoming awfully good at deflecting the intentions of her questions. It was frustrating.

Uzuki, for a moment, struggled to find another way to state her question. Anything she thought of, however, crossed his taboo line. Everything crossed that line.

Her mouth sunk into a scowl.

"Watch it, Uzuki, or you'll burn the linoleum with that stare," he teased, watching her as he finished his mug.

"If only I could do the same to you," she shot at him lamely.

"Oh dear," he said calmly, "What did I do this time?" Water splashed up against his cup as he washed it.

"I hate asking you questions."

Head tilted just a little, he dried his hands and said, "You mean you hate the way I don't answer them." He turned around to look at her. "But think of it this way." He made eye contact with her carefully. "In a way, I wish I could answer your questions. But ultimately, all that would do is satiate your own curiosity with little other virtues."

She placed her hand over her mouth, trying to backtrack in her mind because, wow, she really shouldn't have gone there. But even with this just occurring to her, she whispered out, "Are you saying I'm selfish?"

Kariya grimaced, and ran one hand through his hair. "It's fine, Uzuki. You're fine. Just- we should go."

She nodded, hoisting herself off the counter. Her arms felt heavy. "We're together today."

"Yeah."

* * *

"How many pairs?"

"Eight or so," Kariya said, rolling a pop in his mouth. He looked possessed by the demon of small eye movements at that moment as he looked out the window. The street people of Shibuya moved about like small ants. She wondered what, or who, he was searching for.

Uzuki appeared impressed. "Lots of people died these few weeks to have such a surplus," she mused, straightening out her skirt. She wore a starry, blue button-up knotted at her high-waisted skirt. She had the collar popped to show the white inside and she pushed her sleeves up likewise as they went out the door.

They descended the steps, Kariya with that thoughtful, absorbed look if his. She tried not to appear to be watching him, and went so far as to silently tell herself to stop. That was a futile attempt on her part.

He took his hands out of his pockets and skipped down the rest of the steps. "It's a new day! Let's get started," he said, holding the door open for her.

She shoved at his chest with her small hands, grinning. "Let's end those losers."

* * *

The way Uzuki saw it, she was doing little more than collecting souls. It held no significance for her that she might be ending their lives terminally. To her, they were dead and they were supposed to be dead. If they persevered, then shucks- they deserved to live.

She looked at all the survivors and was somewhat surprised and a little disappointed to discover that none of them seemed worth her time. "You can see right through them," she said, "They're all worthless!"

With a flick of her wrist, noise swarmed one of the couples. The man paled.

Rarely, as Kariya would know, did the older ones succeed at getting a second chance. The ones that did had something else worth living for, if they remembered them at all. Anyone who fought to live solely for themselves were missing the point of the games. They proved to have the least amount of motive, in the end.

It was either the ones who were insane enough to try, or the defiant ones, who expected more from life. Many took that leap of insanity and found a partner, but there were others who just sat and cried- whether they were man, woman, or child.

The most depressing things Kariya had ever seen were when small babies that cried on the first day. Reapers were allowed to take them gently, themselves. It was often a fluke that they were there at all.

"Let's just get rid of one a day," said Kariya, "It's more interesting on the last day when there's more than one couple."

"It's not often we get that chance," said Uzuki thoughtfully. The two that Uzuki had sicced her noise on had defeated the minor enemies and moved on. She stared after another two players like an idle, pink-haired hawk.

"Those couple weeks more certainly raked in some dead, that's for sure," Kariya said in turn. "It makes sense that there would be twice as many this week."

Each city center had a zone of the towns and countryside without the city where, if anyone died within that zone, they gathered at the center for the games. Shibuya had a large zone, and thus contained quite a number of players during the weeks. However, it still occasionally came as a shock when there were more people than could ever be counted.

"Wonder what their entry fees were?" she mused, just as some kid ran into her from her other side. "Ow! Hey, watch it!" she yelled. Before she could, Kariya summoned small noise to stop the boy. He was the small 'redhead' that paired up first on Day 1.

"Kid! Where's your partner at?" Kariya said, long legs taking him to stand over the boy as the noise made low bickering sounds of restlessness.

"I-I'm here." The tall blond stumbled into the area, face screwed up in an apparent exhaustive state. His eye saccades went awkwardly from the noise, to Kariya, to Uzuki. "They're bats, Spud. I hate bats," he muttered. The other kid reacted to "Spud" like it was his name.

Uzuki's hands went to her wings.

"No, they're Reapers." He looked Uzuki up and down, then stared at Kariya. "I didn't think Reapers ganged up."

"We try to fight fair," Kariya said calmly. "Two against two."

"Sure," said Spud caustically. "Like we'd ever get to fight you. You just hide behind the noise."

Uzuki's shoulders tensed. "You wanna fight, Player?" she challenged just as Kariya said, "Those are the rules."

Kariya raised his eyebrows at his partner, then turned back to Spud. He reached out for Uzuki- to calm her down before she did some other stupid thing. "You don't want to fight us, kid."

"Yes, I do. So does Kazu." His glower was rather intense for a boy. "But you're beyond our level," he said. Kazu was starting to gasp, raking his hands through his hair. Spud's gaze faltered when he heard him, and he backed up so he was next to Kazu again. "You and your girlfriend would cheat, anyway."

Uzuki spluttered angrily. "Hey! Stop talking to him like I'm a potted plant!"

Kariya didn't move, but the noise were getting restless being held back. "I'd get lost if I were you. We're not the ones with limited time on our hands."

Spud's eyes narrowed. "I don't like bullies."

"Neither do I," Kariya said. "Now scram." The noise leapt up, snarling, and Spud flashed his pins. Kazu, who had calmed slightly with his partner at his side, loosed the chain he had around his neck. It enlarged itself, growing longer, and Kazu blinked rapidly.

It was a relatively quick battle for them, but Kariya had pulled Uzuki away into an alleyway. "I thought you wanted a promotion," he said calmly.

She scowled. "I do!"

"Then stop trying to break the rules," Kariya told her firmly. "And stop taking offense at the smallest implications," he added.

"But-"

"I know."

Uzuki's eyebrows pulled down, her whole expression sinister. "I hope the game ends him."

He leaned back, attempting to spot Spud through the crowd. "We should let other Reapers try to deal with those two before we allow them to get under our skin."

He flashed her a comforting smile. "For now, let's just see if there's anyone worth picking off, and then call it a day."

Her eyes were distant, and he could easily imagine what she was thinking- wringing his neck until he was purple in the face. Kariya wasn't quite comfortable knowing she was thinking that.

"Hey," he said sharply. Her eyes focused in on him and took in his expression. "Stop thinking about it."

She crossed her arms, but ended up looking more insecure than upset.

"I'll buy you ramen in a few minutes," he told her, voice shifting back to gentle. "_After_ we get rid of some of that frustration." Kariya smiled at her until her eyes lost enough of their flame for her to appreciate it.

"Okay."


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note:_ Gonna be gone for the next week, though I'm sure that doesn't deter anyone. My update's follow a week or so, anyway. But, I felt an obligation to finish this chapter, so here you go! It's a bit of a filler, in a way, but I hope you enjoy, nonetheless!

* * *

**Chapter 5****  
**Day 2- End

She fizzled down after quite some time had passed. Specifically, it took her about as long until they had gotten back to her apartment. It was always her apartment- out of consideration and sanity. While his apartment didn't stink, it could still be called a disaster zone. However, he did keep it quite clean in his disorder, thank you.

Primarily, the only thing that kept her mind off Spud was Kariya's unnamed challenge. Unnamed, completely avoided and frankly rather obscure to both of them. Kariya had his ideas, of course, but he knew none would quite foil her.

"So what is it?"

"It is," he said, then paused, "a secret." He was teasing on the outside, of course, but on the inside he was quite seriously, frantically searching for a sufficient challenge.

Half of him said, "Is it so bad? Make it so she has a chance."

The other half stated quite bluntly, "No. That's an awful idea. Just tell her no."

And, of course, there were his natural instincts which said, "Oh _God_ no! Make it impossible for her! What if she finds something?"

So, on the inside, he was a bit of a mess.

Competition based? Maybe. Patience based? That could work. But what? How many marshmallows can you hold in your mouth? Going forty days without a shower? Okay, no.

His smile was lopsided, like he had slapped it on quickly to hide his turmoil.

He had.

"Bullcrap. You're just stalling," she said, presumably upset. Her lips were twitching though, and she was acting a whole lot more like she was enjoying this than resenting it all.

"And if I am?" he said, letting his bag fall to the floor and fumbling for his iPod. He was becoming oddly dependent on it whenever his emotions were out of whack or running high- and he was honest-to-goodness panicking. He kept thinking of the little things in there that she could hyper analyze. He had just braided her hair, for heaven's sake, and she started questioning him about it. What would she do if she saw some of the things he had kept? Stolen from his old apartment, taken from his own funeral? They were just little things!

He shouldn't be thinking about this.

"Oh my God, Kariya. Are you okay?"

His hands were shaking so badly that he gave up on his iPod and shoved his hands in his shorts pockets. "Of course."

He couldn't get rid of anything. There was no way he could make himself. Even though he had gotten past everything, he couldn't imagine letting any of it go- and hiding them would just be delaying the inevitable.

Assuming she won.

Kariya stared at her undiscerningly before saying, "Do you have tea, Uzuki?"

She blinked, then, as her eyebrows creased just slightly, she said, "They SAY that people like tea primarily because it gives them a sense of love. The warmth simulates that."

Kariya fidgeted. "Who's they?" he wondered, but his voice faded.

"If you'd rather, hugs are gifts I give freely," she said- so calmly and carefully that it was impossible not to listen.

He considered the distance it would take to jump from hiding to feeling. He thought of how odd it was that Uzuki was always the more level-headed, comparatively, whenever something broke inside him like this. When she was always the one that fired up first.

Kariya wasn't sure what to do. He couldn't hide things from her- even when even _he_ didn't want to revisit them.

He hesitated, but she was never one to wait. Her arms went around him, pulling at him, and yet holding him together. He knew she had to be on her toes the way she leaned into him, and he could almost feel his resolve crumbling.

His hands came up to hug her back after his initial hesitation. "Sorry, Uzuki," he muttered.

"Well, I guess I'm sorry, too, then." She turned her head up to look up at him, pursing her lips. She tapped his back a few times, trying to distract him out of his own head. "Hey."

Kariya swallowed. "Hi." For a moment, his grip tightened around her. He picked her up- easy- like she was a feather, and turned about, spinning her with him. "Hi, missy," he said, as she gave a wicked giggle. "You drive me insane."

She grinned crookedly. "I try."

"Oh, I know." He bent his knees to set her down, gently. "And you need to give me some space."

She folded her arms. "Can I say something? Ask something?"

"Yes." He put his hands back in his pockets. "Both of those."

Just for a moment, her hands moved from her hair to her mouth to her hips as she gathered her thoughts. He watched, meticulously emptying his thoughts. "Did you erase all of who you were before your death? Because... My memories make me who I am. Did you start over?"

"I-" He took a breath, bit his lip, then scratched at his nose. "No. My old life is still a part of me." His expression showed that he knew exactly what she meant by asking that, but she said it anyway.

"Then it's an _important_ part of you. I'd like to know _that_ part of you, too."

Kariya could bring up what he had before- that his past isn't as important as the present. And yet, her words were as justified as his. He resented the idea of reaching back so far to provide answers, and yet, the mere fact that it frightened him almost proved it was worth doing.

"Please don't put it off."

He looked down at her, then squinted up at the ceiling. "What are your questions? I can't promise I'll answer all of them, but..." His eyes met hers, and he shrugged. "Maybe it'll get you to stop mugging me with them when I'm not ready."

She gave a small, hopeful smile.

He returned it.

* * *

Day 3- Start

She woke up still thinking about what she had managed and what he had answered. For minutes on end, she thought of that hug, and how as soon as she had a moment alone, just the thought of it had filled her with butterflies. His smile, his hands- he was torturous just by standing next to her.

And then... And then how he had finally allowed her in. He didn't get as technical on the questions as she would have believed. He didn't answer any, but he listened.

She ran her hands through her hair, thinking, "This is a big thing!" Her smile was big on her face, and mildly still overwhelmed.

When she rolled over to her side, her clock stared back at her, blinking a steady 8:13. Expression falling from excited to "Oh shit" in two seconds max, she vaulted out of bed.

A striped tank top was thrown on with neon, frayed shorts and flats and she was out the door. She jumped down half the steps, shoving a hair band into her hair and going shoulder-first out into the Shibuya streets.

"Woah there, lady," said Kariya, upon being her slam-buffer. His hands gripped her shoulders and moved her back. She was blushing to the tips of her ears, and a sprig of hair poked up at the back of her head dutifully.

"Sorry," she gasped.

"Did you sleep in?" he asked, hardly suspicious, as it was relatively clear. He grinned when she looked away. "I thought so."

She rubbed at her nose. "I bet my breath smells awful."

He still smiled. "Maybe. I'll keep my distance."

A punch to the gut didn't wipe his smile. Instead, it grew cockier. "Hey, it happens. And really, you're not that late. Besides," he said, and took a brown bag out of his satchel. "I already bought breakfast."

He held it out for her as she stared. "For you. I ate mine."

She took it almost as if she didn't believe him.

"What?" He raised a single eyebrow.

"You're acting odd."

His other eyebrow went up. "What? Getting you breakfast suddenly makes me off in the head?"

She peeked into the bag and had mixed feelings about the fruit cup and muffin she was seeing. "It's about the fact that you knew what position I was in, magically, then got me everything that I could possibly want." She frowned at him, then remembered, "Sans tea."

His expression jumped from patient to pleased, and a bit surprised. "That's right!" He pulled out his thermos and presented it with a flourish. "All needs now accounted for!"

Her eyes narrowed as she took it, screwing the top off with some maneuvering and effort. "Well, there you go. Everything accounted for, indeed." She inhaled the smell of the citrus blend to stop herself from crumbling to pieces.

He smiled at her, looking remarkably cheery, and she thought she'd be just about ready to be erased off the planet. "You're welcome," he said, snapping out a hair tie off his wrist.

"Thank you," she muttered, fishing the muffin out of the bag.

He busied himself with pulling back his hair at the nape of his neck as she took a nibble. There was an odd, thick feeling in her throat that made it hard to swallow. It was like her throat had decided that happiness was enough sustenance for her alone. Forget the muffin. Who needed fruit and tea when... When... Dammit. She wanted to cry.

**_I love you_**, she wanted to scream, **_you selfish freak_**.

But she just nibbled at her muffin, trying not to make her feelings too obvious.

His ponytail wasn't helping.


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note:_ Yo! Double update for the patience!  
Also, I'd really like to thank those that have posted reviews for this fic. It really... just makes my day. If I haven't sent you a private message in thanks, I'd like to give you all a general **I LOVE YOU.**  
And on a more serious note, I'm seriously debating titling each chapter according to Kariya's moodswings.

Enjoy. =]

* * *

**Chapter 6**  
Day 3 continued

"So what's with the smiles?"

It wasn't as if he was grinning from ear-to-ear, but his usual morning pallor wasn't nearly as grey. He met her in the middle on her I'm-less-tired-than-thou manner so consistently that it was off-putting.

He also happened to be wearing skinny-jeans and wow. She couldn't handle that just yet. She'd just gotten over what it felt like to be in his arms. To be enfolded in him.

She blushed.

"Putting up an effort helps, I guess," he told her, pulling his strap over his head to rest on his other shoulder. His eyes crinkled the way they always did when he found something amusing. Not funny. Cute, maybe, in his own sense of the word. "C'mere." He beckoned her toward him.

Not knowing what to expect, she took a step closer. She pressed the thermos to her chest as he adjusted her headband. The little pink sprig of hair was tamed. "There," he mused, then hooked his thumbs in his belt-loops. "You done? We're meant to be checking out A-East."

"Now?" she said, patting the top of her head with confusion. What did he do? "So I AM late," she concluded.

"Just a bit." He shrugged. "Gave them time to be complete idiots without hassle."

"Rude," she muttered, and managed a grin. His responsive smile was quick.

"'Kay. Let's go."

She followed him as he weaved through the crowds. Through scramble crossing and the main streets, and she kept her eyes between his shoulder blades. Her main goal: protect the tea. That citrus blend was pure gold and no one could tell her otherwise. And he had known it.

What was _his_ favorite breakfast? Guilt swathed her insides. At least the French toast had worked.

It didn't register that her eyes were tracing the patterns in his wings until she had finished that train of thought. She swallowed that admiration to stifle her guilt and it was surprisingly easy. His wings were beautiful. Confident, raised, a glossy black. Were they smaller? Were _hers_?

"Hey look."

She blinked and followed the line of his arm to his finger. In her perspective, he was pointing roughly in the direction of that little prick of a tater-tot. She made a sound of disgust, sipping her tea. Let it wash down his appalling taste.

"You know what I think?"

She looked up at Kariya, glad to get Spud's silhouette out of her vision. "What?"

"I think I want to know what he lost." His dark eyes were distant. Less curious and more thoughtful.

Uzuki swallowed and stared into his face until he focused on hers. "And you?"

He winced. "Not the time, Uzuki, please." She wasn't exactly tickled with that response, in the way she pursed her lips, but she let it go. "I'm just... Going to ask him. Okay?"

"He's not going to like it."

"No one does." Kariya paused. "But this kid? If he gets erased, I'll want to know. There's something about him."

Uzuki blinked. "Like Sakuraba? I hope n-"

"Hey!"

The yell was so loud, Uzuki was rattled. Kariya turned, surprised, toward Spud and saw him lower his voice pin. Guy had to be talented to use a pin like that. It still didn't have the same effect as in battle-you just couldn't do that-but it did magnify his voice. "Speak of the devil," he muttered.

Uzuki nudged him. "Aren't we the devils?"

"Myth."

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Spud didn't use his pin this time, but he didn't waste any air, either.

"Okay?" Kariya said, raising an eyebrow and not bothering to move as Spud approached him. Again, he was without his partner.

"I need you to open a wall for me," Spud said.

Kariya looked almost affronted. "Uh no. Ask a support."

Spud's face was an odd, angry red color. "That's the issue! He asked Kazu to wear all blue and he _can't_."

Uzuki frowned. "What?" What was wrong with blue? All-blue was a bit much, but not as bad as some colors.

"Why don't you do it instead?" Kariya asked, looking thoroughly perplexed.

Now Spud was definitely flushed with anger. Frustration. Both. "He didn't ask me!"

"Sounds like a personal issue," Uzuki said bluntly. Her blue eyes were full of steely dislike.

He glared straight back, then turned back to Kariya. "If I fight you and win, will you lower the wall?"

"Don't tempt me to fight you. It's only the third day." Kariya stared evenly back at Spud, meeting his gaze, but a lot less harshly than Uzuki.

"How about we just give him a high level. A mammoth. Make it easy for this weakling," Uzuki suggested caustically.

"Don't bring me down to your level, you whore," Spud spat at her. Uzuki froze, a flush making its way in blotchy patches in her complexion.

Before she could even fathom a response, Kariya took a step forward and gave the most frightening "enough" that she had ever heard. Everything about him was suddenly dangerous and dark. Spud barely stood his ground.

"You've crossed the line. I won't help you," Kariya growled. "Get out of my sight."

Spud recovered from his shock faster than Uzuki. He wasn't able to even meet the pure intimidation Kariya was putting off- perhaps due to his unfortunate height. He swallowed, mustering the last of his defiance to form some sort of confidence. "I need this." It was an unrefined and wary plea.

Kariya didn't move an inch.

"Please." Something distorted in Spud's expression had forced that word out of his mouth. It sounded like it didn't belong.

"Then apologize," Kariya demanded. His black coffee eyes bored into Spud like he had every intention, and very well could, beat the filthy crap out of the kid, then throw him off of ten-four.

"I'm sorry."

Kariya made a scoffing noise far back in his throat. "Not to me."

Spud choked on his own voice for a moment, almost shaking with barely concealed rage. "I'm _sorry_," he said, anger etched in every line of his small body. But he was angled toward Uzuki and it was directed at her.

Kariya looked to Uzuki for even a small amount of acceptance. She wanted to punch Spud's face in until he bled from his eyes, but evidently Kariya found something. He stepped back.

"Call your partner over. Defeat this-" He flicked his wrist and a Mammoth Noise roared to life, making Spud stumble back. "-and the wall's down."

Uzuki watched as Spud scrambled away from the Noise's great steps, using the last of his voice to scream for Kazu.

The two Reapers moved out of their zones, Kariya now looking considerably more pacified. Uzuki still looked like she was going to murder something.

"He might get erased," Kariya whispered into her ear. His close proximity unconsciously made her turn into him. Not necessarily relax, but her body spoke comfortable familiarity. "You're welcome."

Uzuki folded her arms, looking away from him. "I don't need your help."

"No. That wasn't the point." His pins disappeared with a flash and he began to make his way around the Noise to reach the wall.

"Okay. Well, I can defend myself," she said to his back, watching him work the rest of... Whatever that was out of his shoulders.

He glanced back at her, something like a grimace nestled in the corners of his mouth. "I've never needed to be pissed on your behalf, Uzuki. That was all me."

"Oh." She reflected back on what he had looked like for just that moment. He would have been at home with a scythe.

He shrugged, then approached the Support stationed at the wall. "Yo. If this kid and his partner defeat the behemoth, go ahead and let him through, KC."

KC peeked out from under his hood, shaking his shaggy platinum hair. "I have _never_ seen a guy freak out so much over clothing. Seriously. Those two aren't normal."

Kariya nodded, looking back at Spud running circles around the Noise and primarily using Pyrokinesis. So not _that_ good. Better than most just using two types, though.

"That's not a lie," he muttered, cracking his knuckles absentmindedly.

KC looked over at Uzuki, giving her a friendly wink. "Lookin' fly, girl."

Her smile was wry and amused. "Do people even use that phrase anymore?"

"Don't care," he said. "I like the look."

Kariya watched her, reminded of how much she loved flattery by the way she smiled. "Thanks, KC."

"You deserve some admiration."

She tucked stray strands of pink behind her ear. "Doesn't everyone?"


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note: _In case you haven't gotten the message, this is pt 2 of the double update. Please read the previous chapter.  
Okay, guys... confession. I feel really bad for being so slow with the plot here, but they keep goofing off and I can't do a flipping thing about it. I do, however, honestly believe that as you read these, you'll be able to get a solid sense of their relationship and what it means to both of them. I hope you guys are picking up on a few things about Kariya. Yes, I'm leading up to something, and yes yes yes all your questions will be answered.

For now, enjoy! I've already written the beginning of the next chapter, so the update should come quickly. Love you all.

* * *

**Chapter 7**  
Day 3- End

"You didn't ask him," Uzuki reminded Kariya, tossing her bag at the end of the couch. He was rubbing his fingers through his hair, having pulled it out of its ponytail.

"No, I didn't. You're right." He sat down with his head tilted back, emotionally exhausted and perfectly fine admitting it. He didn't like getting angry-not that he had been exactly reluctant. The rest of the day, however, he had let Uzuki do the pulling. She had tested nearly every team as he had sat back and watched, mainly because... Well, how was she ever going to get a promotion if he goofed off with her all the time? It ended up working nicely, overall. One pair didn't cut it, and it looked like one group solved the mission in time for another to just slide by. Tomorrow would be interesting.

"So..."

Kariya angled his head toward her and immediately recognized her position. He groaned. "Uzuki," he said pathetically. She had that face-the one where she wanted answers, but was trying to be coercive in a gentle way. The worst.

"Just one answer a day, Kariya! That's all," she said, coming over to sit on the footstool. Her foot nudged his. "Please."

He sniffed, practically staring her down.

"You can even ask me one!" She flashed him a smile that breathed a plea that she could convince him. Corner him and win.

"That's okay," he said mildly, and she wasn't sure if he was playing her or if he really just made her take a step back. She didn't want to lose her footing.

"I'll start."

"Uzuki, I'm really tired right n-"

"What," she said deliberately, "was your entry fee?"

He sighed. "Not that one."

Her groan was long and pathetically dramatic, but she recovered quickly enough. She had, after all, basically just gotten him to consent to at least one. Naturally, she would try for more.

For a moment, she tried to choose one that she really wanted to know. If she took too long, though- "Where did you live when you died?"

He took a long breath, looking almost relieved, and yet about to wince as well. "Here. In this city."

"Oh." She felt like the room had swallowed her whole. He had answered a question as soon as she had asked it. Her heartbeat was unusually loud in her head. "Where?"

"West Shibuya," he told her, then looked down at his wrist. He began to play with his hair tie.

"Was it nice there?"

His head tilted just a little to the right. "I think so." The spell broke when he looked into her eyes. "My turn."

They were such a deep brown. Like tunnels and deep ponds. "Okay."

In the pause that it took him to think up a question, she tried to imagine Kariya growing up... Here. In Shibuya. It was difficult to imagine him younger, like twelve, and going shopping with his mom. Little strawberry-blond Kariya and his deep brown eyes.

"How big was your family?"

She grinned just thinking about them. "I had both my parents, three brothers and three sisters not including me. Little Aimi was just four. Then I had my little brother and other sister. After that I had just one and two above me. Chouko and Isamu and Ryou. Then we had a puppy, Shin. I fed him, so he followed me everywhere." Her smile was bright and happy until she saw Kariya's expression. It was like... Well. She wasn't sure. "Kariya?"

He blinked and swallowed. "Hm?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yes." He wiped his expression clean, just like that, then smiled. "They sound fun."

Her response was slow. "Yes, they were." He didn't look like he was going to ask any more questions. "Move."

"What?"

She shimmied up beside him between the arm rest and his body and grabbed at his shoulders. He was forcefully turned so that his back was facing her with his legs awkwardly set. "I'm giving you a back rub even if your bony shoulders kill me."

A shudder of a laugh ran through his body. "Okay."

It shouldn't have came as a surprise that he was all knots up there. It was obvious that he carried stress in his shoulders, but it was like kneading stone.

She tried to keep her thoughts up in the nothing zone-not how she could feel his muscles and skin and was he always this warm? She supposed so. Her hands worked in circles and with a firm gentleness. He didn't say a word and she concluded that she could deal with just one question a day. She'd cut him some slack.

Slowly, his muscles began to feel a bit more like how they should have instead of bone. He had shifted his legs into a more bearable position and was relaxed forward, forever patient. When she decided her hands were done, she tickled the nape of his neck, receiving a responding shiver. Goosebumps. He stretched forward, groaning.

"I'd pay for that, Uzuki," he murmured, crawling forward a bit and turning around on the other side of the couch. His eyes were distant and in a haze. She rubbed at her hands.

"Naw. You've needed it for who knows how long. I wasn't really joking when I said we should get massages a few days ago," she said, tucking her legs in. It was darker in her apartment, washed in a pretty orange and peach glow. She envied Kariya his big windows, but she supposed she had it better. At least she could see out of hers.

"You hungry?"

She looked up at him, the corners of her mouth turning down. "Are you?"

He reached for his bag, fumbling for his phone with a muffled, "We didn't have dinner. Yes, I'm hungry."

She considered her levels of hunger and how much she had eaten. She probably was starving and had just forgotten. "Pizza?"

"Don't have the energy to make something else right now."

"We could go out for ramen," she suggested, then almost regretted it. She actually wanted pizza.

He flipped through his phone for the number he wanted. "Not feeling it. I'll pay for this. What do you want?"

"Whichever one has the most meat."

He laughed. "God, you carnivo-Yes! Hello! I'd like a delivery please."

Uzuki leaned back, stretching as far as she could go until her toes touched his legs. Skinny jeans. She covered her face with her arm, picturing his legs and butt and couldn't help but smile. She didn't bother with a blush-he couldn't see her expression anyway-when she imagined her hands elsewhere. Not on his back. His sides, his arms, his hair. What _would_ he look like with his natural hair? She lifted her arm, trying to see if she could spot lighter colors at his hairline. How often did he die it, anyway? It looked strange, all haphazard and not spiking up out of his head like a cannon off a ship. It was longer than it used to be, so that ponytail-ugh that ponytail-it was adorable. He had taken it out, of course, but she was skilled at keeping images in her head.

And you know? She didn't feel too much like a stalker. The only thing that kept her from kissing those lips was her own respect for him. It killed, but stepping into that relationship area was as dark and unknown as her childhood closet at night.

He lowered his phone and met her eyes with something like a smile. "What're you lookin' at?"

"You," she said, quite serious.

His smile grew bigger. "Well then. Don't stare too long."

This time, she blushed, feeling a little hot at his response. "No promises," she muttered.

He ducked her head with a playful push as he got up, then ran his hands through his hair. He pulled it back again, twisting his tie around it as he crouched down over his bag.

"I think we need music, don't you?"

Uzuki gave an affirmative noise, slipping off her sandals and draping herself over the space he had left on the couch. It was warm where he had been sitting.

She watched him circle through his songs quickly before picking one-another of his orchestrated, very calm songs. "Tryin' to put me asleep?" she asked.

"No. Want a different song?" He immediately tapped the skip button to a song with a mellow acoustic start.

He disappeared into the bathroom, leaving her to the lyrics.

_We'll do it all, everything, on our own. We don't need anything or anyone._

_If I lay here-If I just lay here-would you lie with me and just forget the world?_

_I don't quite know how to say how I feel._

_Those three words are said to much. They're not enough._

She sighed and curled into herself, for once feeling absolutely terrible about being alone-feeling openly the hurt that had settled within her since he had first kissed her. She could pretend they were a couple. She could. But she didn't want to hurt like she did. She didn't want to suppress that. If she could tell him, she could bear it. Sharing wouldn't make it so terrible.

The couch creaked when he leaned into the back, and she could almost see his eyes in her mind. Calm, steady, constant. She groaned.

"What?" he asked, tugging her arm away from her face. She didn't feel like resisting. "Hey there, puppy girl," he muttered.

"What did you call me?"

"You're like a sick puppy all the sudden," he informed her, just the very corners of his mouth twitching. "That's no good."

"What are you gonna do about it, buster?" she said, with not nearly as much vehemence as she imagined in her mind.

He dropped her arm over her stomach thoughtfully, then smiled. It was the small one that gave her those little butterflies in her stomach. "I'm not sure. What do you want me to do?"

Just then, the doorbell rang and Uzuki managed a gruff, "Pay for the damn pizza."

He laughed all the way to the door as she fought a frustrated blush out of her system. She wished he wouldn't smile all the time. Obnoxious punk.

She listened to him thank the delivery man and tip him before closing the door. "They're fast." He gave a little whistle.

Next thing, he was crouching by her side, eyes narrowed. "Do you still have periods when you're dead?"

She stiffened, going completely red. "Oh my God, Kariya! Get out of my face!" She shoved at his head with a growl. Somehow and suddenly, she was picked up Kariya-style with every sense of her own equilibrium lost.

Her squeal was almost panicked, as hanging upside-down was rather threatening, until he grappled for a better hold. It was like being tossed around by a playful little boy, who also happened to be laughing until his ears turned red.

"Let me down!" she gasped, finally settled over his shoulder. Apparently he was a graceful walker, as he didn't jostle her much. He did let her down with a sort of giggle-well that was cute-on the cold countertop.

"There. No more lolling about on the couch," he said pleasantly, nudging the pizza box in her direction.

She wasn't sure whether to shoot him a dark look or pout, so she settled with both. It would've been fine-absolutely-if only what happened next _hadn't_.

She farted.

He froze, staring at her like she had hit him with a frying pan, and Uzuki, frankly, looked terrified.

"Did you just-"

"Don't say it!" she yelped, redder than crimson and wanting to dissolve into thin air.

A great, wheezing laughter ripped out of his throat, body doubled over and crying, "Oh God. Holy crap. U-Uzuki, why?" He practically burst into tears, gasping through breathless giggles, head thrown back and looking almost in pain.

She watched, barely breathing, and yet laughter was constricting her chest because _man. His laughter was priceless_.

"Uzuki!" he whimpered, hanging onto the counter.

"Sh-shut up, you idiot!" she shouted, voice strung up at a pathetic pitch.

He knocked his forehead against the counter gently a few times in what's he wished she could call gross sobbing. Even if it was uncontrolled and enthusiastic in a sad way, it was something that made her insides bubbly and light and she had fallen _so far_.

"Seriously," she whined, "stop laughing! It's embarrassing!" There was no way she could wipe that smile off her face.

"Okay, okay," he gasped, so lightheaded he might pass out. He wiped at his eyes with his wrists, still shuddering. "Ugh," he groaned, a sloppy smile twitching at he face. "That came out of nowhere. He burst into another fit of giggles.

"_Kariya_."

* * *

_Author's Note:_ Still can't tell if what I did was out of line... but _I'm_ laughing, so... yeah.

sorrynotsorry

BTW, the song playing is Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol. Good song.


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's Note:_ After this, there's only one more chapter. It's already written, but I'm going to go over it to make sure I don't regret anything I wrote in it.  
Just for a fair warning, I suppose, there will be no definitive answers here. All this is building up to the ones that will come out in the third story.  
What I'd like to know is how against are you with the idea of reading through the eyes of a different character for the main plot progression? And if you are totally against the idea, from whom would you rather hear? Uzuki or Kariya?  
And you know what shocks me? There are _so _little fanfics for these two. I never even noticed.

And longest chapter! Whoo!

* * *

**Chapter 8  
**Day 4

"You know, I haven't tried to get drunk since I've died."

"Your point?" Kariya wove in and through the crowd, again with Uzuki trailing behind.

"Have you? Does it work?" she asked, running her eyes through the crowd like a blue comb.

At first she thought she might have missed what he was saying—the crowds were always rather loud. "What?"

"I didn't say anything," he told her. "I don't remember. I don't know."

Uzuki hummed, thoughtful. "Well, I think if you had, you would remember."

"Maybe."

They eventually got around to Miyashita Park Underpass where there was less RG presence. As much as the living toddling around didn't get in the way of anything, it was still a breath of fresh air. Granted, it was city air, but there was little anyone could do about _that_.

"He survived," Kariya said blandly, eyes trailing after a certain blond turd of a boy.

Uzuki gave a frown that nursed a grudge reaching into the depths of Hell. "Let's send some hard ones after those two."

"What we really should do is let other Harriers have a chance," said Kariya.

She snorted. "Unless someone's been hiding their raw, individual talent, I doubt they have much of a chance. If they didn't reap a few on the first day, that's just too bad." She glanced at him. "Besides, your lazy is showing again."

"Where?" he replied instantly, watching another couple fight past a barrier while Tally off on the other end nursed her free cup of coffee. He sighed. "Kind of miss the mooching days."

Uzuki gave a grunt which meant, more or less, that she couldn't exactly disagree with that. "Never understood why Noise gave 'em any money, though. It's like... Where the heck are they getting it?" she grumbled, looking a little tense at the idea.

He nudged her gently. "The Composer, maybe."

"I want _his_ nest egg."

Kariya chuckled.

* * *

Day 5

Kariya could never be called an unpleasant man, but being as happy as he was was practically a crime. She couldn't understand it. It was only when she asked a question about his past that he stopped smiling for a moment. It made her feel guilty and completely baffled.

She began to make a habit of asking about his entry fee first, which he always said no to. She started to think he wasn't giving any thought to it at all and she would never find out.

It wasn't until she asked about his family that she got a similar reaction to rejection. He paled, and looked as if she'd slapped him. "Not that one, please."

Guilt kept her from needling. "What about your birthday?"

His lips pursed, and he gave his usual vague answer. "Sometime in the late 18-hundreds."

She was legitimately shocked, and could feel herself gaping. She knew he was old but... "Wow."

He flushed visibly, very uncomfortable. Quickly, he moved on with, "Alright. How did you die?"

Her eyebrows shot up. "Heavy question."

"I couldn't think of anything else."

She couldn't help but smile, just a little, before remembering her death. Her scowl was deeply engrained in her features at the thought. "The neighbor boys drowned me by accident."

If Kariya had been pale before, he took on the complexion of grey snow, now. He sat back and stared at her, looking sick. "I don't even know what to say to that," he murmured, raking his eyes over her face, trying to imagine her struggling under hands, or... "How?"

"The youngest one pushed me on the wet dock, I slipped when I tried to jump, hit my head on the edge, and didn't know that I was breathing water until I was already drowned." She felt far away describing it. It had been the most frightening, horrible and uncontrollable thing she had ever felt. There was nothing like dying. "Something like that. It was a lot worse than I have words to say," she told him.

"I believe you," he said quietly, sinking into the couch cushions. He grated out a sigh, then said, "We should get going."

* * *

They never spoke about the answers much after the initial question. Kariya slipped back into the ease of making her feel anxious with glee. She had never known anyone to make her feel so happy just by being so, themselves. Neither had she known anyone to make her feel anxious while doing it. She thought maybe it was because she was scared. Not of being happy, but for him. She would take this Kariya over the one a few weeks ago, but she felt like she was sliding off a roof, somehow.

So she asked him. "Why are you so happy?"

"You already asked me that. I'm just putting up an effort," he said, sitting up with her at the top of one of the shorter buildings. She tried not to watch how the wind played with his shirt, but so long as he didn't notice, she didn't see the point.

"Why?"

"Never know what's going to happen." He shrugged, eyes trained on a particular pair of players down on the streets.

She took that moment to trace the features of his profile. Pointed chin, slightly upturned nose, strong cheekbones—God, were those freckles? How had she never noticed? They were awfully small and faint. All those features made quite a unique face. Kariya.

She couldn't get the thought of him as a little boy out of her head. Climbing trees, hair bleached a lighter blond, skin freckled and tanner in the sun. She shook her head. Of course, he had been a city-dweller. Perhaps his life had not been like that—like hers.

"Have you noticed that Spud's always the one who figures the missions out first?" he said, a bit absently.

To that, she said, "I don't find myself caring."

That made him grin. It wasn't one that transformed his features any, but it was amused and second-best to the little ones and the real, bright ones.

"You know," she said, "I think when I was newer, I thought being a Reaper was a lot different than this."

"Figured it out, have you?" he asked, still smiling, but in a different way.

"It's simple."

"Not boring."

"No," she agreed. _Not with you_.

He climbed off the edge of the building with the care that she had learned was natural to him. His purpose was to fish a lollipop out of his bag, and for the first time, she asked, "May I try one?"

His hands stilled for a moment, then a smile split his features. It reached his eyes when he looked up at her. "It never even crossed my mind to offer."

"This would be the first time I would have ever said yes, so no loss."

Appearing to like that answer, he held one out to her. He waited, watching, so she made her movements deliberate. She unwrapped it, folded the wrapper, and popped the lolly into her mouth. His eyebrows were raised, wondering.

He wasn't lying. It _was_ bean paste. It was sweet, and of an interesting texture, and she knew finally why he liked them so much. She gave him a thumbs-up and drew a laugh out of him that made her insides tickle.

* * *

Day 6- Morning

He woke her up in the dark grey, milky residues of the night, and it shocked her. She swallowed a gasp because "How the—how did you get in here?"

"You're not the only one who can pick a lock," he said with a grin. She tried to calm her heart, and took that moment to sweep his features with her eyes. He was tired, exhausted, by the look of his own eyes and the creases under them.

Her head sunk into the pillows with something like relief. The idea of anyone else in her apartment made her sick to the stomach. Regardless, she was appreciative of the fact that unlike a certain someone, she slept with clothes on.

"Why are you here?" she asked, awake, but still dazed.

"Couldn't sleep."

She groaned. "Selfish bastard."

His laugh was too bright for the early hours, and it dimmed as he realized it. "No, but really. I wanted to catch the sunrise with you. The clouds are just right."

"I thought that was my thing."

"Yes, well," he began, looking thoughtful as he crouched by her bedside, now at eye-level. She couldn't see the depth of his eyes in the dimness, but she wished she could. "I'm not really that creative."

She sighed, but in a yawn. When she opened her eyes, his nose was wrinkled. "Hello, morning breath," he said, and covered her lips with his hand.

Rolling away, she said, "Told you."

He made a confirmative noise and stretched up to a stand again. "We have to hurry."

"Just give me a moment."

He left the room, and she changed as quickly as her mind could let her. She pulled on a shirt with a black lace from the chest to the sleeves and brightly-colored coral shorts. Not knowing what to do with her hair, she simply shoved the sides back with pins, and swung out the door. He was standing in the kitchen, going through his iPod quietly. He was wearing a simple, green V-neck and chinos. He had tried wearing a thin black hair band and she couldn't say it looked bad. He'd have to be wearing something supremely awful for her to say anything of the like.

"Done," she said, a tiny bit breathlessly—from getting ready so quickly or the sight of him, she wasn't sure. Also, she didn't know which was worse.

* * *

The fact that he decided to run made her laugh. He was not being ridiculous, exactly, but he was making all of it fun. Like chasing him, or him racing her down the stairs. Then rushing up the stairs of ten-four, gasping for breath. He jumped up to the edge, spread out his arms like a bird, and sighed.

"Never thought I'd catch you running for recreation," said she.

He made a thoughtful noise, slipped off his headband, then pushed it back on again. "We all learn some new things."

"What does that mean?" she asked, coming up to swing her legs over the edge.

"I like to speak nonsense."

She laughed, looking down at the grey streets below. Small blots of color moved slowly down there. "Sometimes."

He dropped down next to her, and in a moment of déjà vu, nudged her to look up as the sun breached the horizon. Sometimes, sunrises were nothing more than the sun appearing in the sky. No colors. Nothing new.

But this sunrise was quite striking. The clouds were so bright with orange, it was if the skies were riddled with cracks in the universe—lava moving under the tears. The buildings of Shibuya cracked the picture with bold blocks of grey. The higher clouds were the color of faded gold, shyer as they reached farther into the grey-blue sky.

Kariya let out a low, steady whistle.

"Still seen something prettier?" Uzuki said, not moving her eyes from the sky.

"Yes, but I will not deny that this is a masterpiece," he said calmly.

She looked to him, slightly affronted. "What have you seen that is better than this?"

"I have a thought that the glory of whole milk transcends all things," he mused. Though she knew he was completely avoiding her question, she was still frustrated.

"I bet you haven't even tried fresh milk," she said.

He simply laughed. "No. It must be sinful."

"It's not," she said, rolling her eyes. She kicked her feet out, pressing her fingers to her lips. He had touched them earlier, and she had been reminded how warm he always was. It was almost uncomfortable. She wondered how he could possibly stay cool, and then whether the sole reason his apartment was so hot was because he was its own living heater.

She gathered her thoughts. "I have a question."

"Okay."

"Why do you have all those lollipops?"

He answered easily. "My friend was obsessed with them. They remind me of him."

"Who?"

The fingers of his right hand drummed on his knee, and he shook his head. "Just... A friend. Why do you die your hair pink?" he continued immediately.

"It's more interesting. I always thought I looked plain. You should understand. You went all..." She gestured at his hair. "Orange." She knew it was his favorite color, and that offered some explanation.

The corner of his lips twitched. "I avoid reminders of some things. That's why it's not its original color. But you?" He considered her calmly. "You looked just fine with brown hair."

She barely remembered what she had looked like with her original coloring. She blinked and raised a hand to her roots, knowing and remembering that she had to bleach and dye it again soon.

"If you had been born with pink hair, you may have dyed it brown," he told her.

That tugged a smile out from her. "Perhaps." It was then that she was reminded how his fingers had felt in her hair, woven through. She shivered.

He looked at her, then back at the skies, now a paler, less vivid orange. "Are you cold? We can go."

"I'm alright," she replied, shrugging more to rid her mind of his hands. She could imagine them with a splash of pale freckles over his knuckles, but she hadn't the slightest idea if that was right.

She gave up. "Can I see your hands?"

"No. Yes, sorry. Why?" He held out his hands for her, palms up, expression bemused.

She turned them over and held them closer to his eyes. His fingers twitched. "What are you looking for?"

"Freckles."

They were the faintest freckles she had ever managed to see, and there was only a small, sparse scattering. There was a slight nick on his middle right knuckle, crescent-like. She wasn't aware that it was possible to have scars after death. She hadn't even thought about it.

"Freckles?" He echoed, dimly, then pulled one hand away. Moving it slightly in front of his eyes, he made a small noise that was halfway between bewilderment and fascination. "I never noticed."

"You're welcome," she said, as she felt how his fingers radiated warmth. Wide knuckles, long, tapered fingers, freckles.

He didn't respond, looking even more bright and pleased than he ever had before—as well as lost.


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's Note:_ Last chapter! If you don't mind, I'm going to spend more time on the third installment. It might take longer, it may not. It might be longer, but it could be shorter, for all I know. However, I will try to make it as worth the read as possible—more in-depth. It will definitely answer some questions, and I hope I can get the first chapter to you all soon.

Please, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 9  
**The Final Day

Uzuki was impressed to find that there were, indeed, two pairs left in the game. She had never even cast the other couple a second glance—a boy and a girl. The girl looked to be in her early twenties, and the boy little more than of age.

However, while they had both survived, unless both happened to fail, Spud and Kazu were the only possible candidates. The other couple fought ferociously apart from each other, as if the other was the source of their issues. Perhaps they were, if they happened to have murdered each other on the Real Ground.

Spud and Kazu, however, were completely reliant, in one way or another, upon their partner. Kariya assumed Spud was the only stable thing keeping Kazu from going absolutely mad. Uzuki suspected that Spud felt responsible exactly due to that.

Granted, Uzuki still despised Spud, but even she could see past that.

The boy and the girl had the mentality of getting to the Game Maker firsthand before the other team, while Spud held his partner back. Kariya seemed to understand exactly what was going through his mind, and was distantly appreciative of that.

So they decided to send high-level Noise after the first couple that went after the Game Master. Their bias was odd, as neither of them liked Spud much. At the same time, however, they acknowledged the fact that he had gotten this far on sheer skill shared with his partner. That was respectable.

They fought silently, but with a great ruckus. The lady had the strongest telekinesis they'd seen yet—throwing things at their Noise with the force of three of her. The boy did a lot of close-range slashing. They were strong alone, which made Uzuki only wonder how much they could do together.

The boy was the first to use a healing pin. It was then that Kariya leaned forward, seriously interested. He seemed particularly interested in the boy's technique. It was the first time that Uzuki found herself acknowledging how apparent it was that Kariya was a technical freak. He liked skill and he enjoyed learning how things were done, so long as he found them initially interesting. She supposed he was actually learning something from all the players.

On the other hand, she wished, as she sat there, that she could've been fighting down there instead. She knew she could win, with Kariya, at least. Sakuraba was one-of-a-kind, and in retrospect, the fact that they were defeated so often was no wonder. Additionally, she _did_ suspect that Kariya hadn't ever really tried. She wouldn't have been surprised, and it made even more sense now, recognizing the fact that he was a watcher. He sat back and watched how things played out—and he could, because he was patient and attentive when he wanted it.

Suddenly, they both went down with a cry, and Kariya leaned away from the scene. She watched as they vanished, then turned to Spud. He was standing under the shade of the far building, hand wrapped around Kazu's wrist to keep him from tearing his hair out. She wanted to see his reaction.

His wasn't all that different. He looked disturbed, then turned about to look at Kariya as he swept the Noise away.

"You gonna fight us?" he called, wary.

Kariya looked like he was considering it, for just a moment. "No," he called back, stood up, and bowed them in the direction of the wall they first needed to get past.

Tally was the Support posted there, and snickered at Kariya's flourish. She shook her head, then spoke quietly, like always, to Spud as he ran up. This time, he had to reach into his wallet.

Uzuki snorted.

"Want to watch?" Kariya asked, hands shoved in his pockets.

"I have no preference. This Game Master is just shabby." She shrugged. He was from the next city over—a step-in until there were enough Reapers to fill in the ranks in Shibuya itself. Uzuki hadn't even seen him. She had seen many a Final Battle, and again, she would much rather be the one fighting it. "But I do have a question."

"Being?" He settled back down to sit next to her. They were at the bus terminal, situated up on the top of a vehicle. They shared a small amount of shade up there, despite the sun beaming garishly off the white top into their eyes. This would have been a time Uzuki would beg for his sunglasses, had he not broken them.

"Were you in any relationships before?" she asked, for a little more than just curiosity's sake.

He pursed his lips, palms flat together as his fingers twiddled and flexed. "Romantically?"

She made a confirmative noise.

"I don't remember anything significant. So yes, but not really." His eyebrows were pinched together, eyes sketching out the cracks in the below pavements.

With a sort of answer like that, she wasn't sure what reaction to come up with.

"You?" he asked. "That's my question. What about you?"

She sighed, knotted her hands together, and moved halfway between a nod and a shrug. "Sort of."

"I see," he said, but if she had looked over, his eyes would have been laughing. "Sounds complicated."

"Well, it wasn't," she told him, "before."

He just looked at her and waited, wondering what 'before' meant, exactly. "He was the one who pushed me."

"Ah."

"It was pretty mutual, and new, and I didn't mind anything, really. But I'm dead now, so... It doesn't matter at all anymore." That all was true—she didn't pine after him. She knew it hadn't been his intention to give her the concussion that would kill her, but such things deadened the butterflies pretty effectively.

Kariya nodded as if he agreed, then pushed off the bus to land on the ground below. He landed on his toes, crouching before straightening, and looking back at her. She eyed the pavement as if it might bite her, but did likewise, anyway. There was a sort of grace to recklessness when you were dead.

She started the walk back to her apartment with Kariya, hating the heat that smothered her skin. It was still early, but Shibuya didn't mind. Out farther in the country with grass and trees that collected shade, being cool on a hot day was more likely.

They both felt the shift in the atmosphere when the game ended. It was subtle, but dramatic at the same time. She recalled her time as a player and how time moved so slowly, yet so urgently. As a Reaper, time just flew.

"Wonder who won?" Kariya muttered, looking back over his shoulder as if he'd find the answer there.

"Wanna place a bet?" Uzuki suggested. "Loser buys ramen."

He grinned and pulled out a lollipop. "Yeah, okay. I'll bet on Spud."

Uzuki had hopes, but she was also fairly sure Kariya would win. The chances of a win or lose were pretty even for both sides, usually, but Spud and his partner were good. They had nothing on Sakuraba, of course, but that whole thing had been messed up.

"The Game Master, then, for me," she said, with more surety in her voice than she felt. It didn't matter much, though. She was just itching for ramen, period. They hadn't dictated a challenge in a while.

"What do you think their decisions will be?" Kariya wondered aloud. He had pulled out his phone, glancing at the screen. He tapped on it, but still listening, then shoved it away into his bag.

Uzuki cocked her head. "Depends on the Composer's mood, right? Sometimes only one is given their life back." She thought back to her position and remembered how she was given the option.

At the time, Kariya had been different. Not very, but he was the one that made being a Reaper look interesting. It was as if he hadn't even been aware that he was the strongest person in the room. His style was slapdash and absent, and to her it looked exciting and powerful. Being smack in the middle of the family, recognition and power seemed to be the most tantalizing thing in the world.

"True," he said absently. She figured she must've demanded his attention and pestered him until he tolerated her. He had been forced to be a more relaxed presence to equal her out. "I—uh, have to go."

She blinked. "What? Why?"

He was already turning around as she stopped and waited for a response. "See you later."

"Wait—Kariya!" She watched him weave back the way they came, then scowled. "Jerk."

* * *

The Dead Gods Pad was empty, and Kariya didn't expect any less. If there was one thing that he loved most about Shibuya, it was the peoples' desire to live. Given the choice, they rarely decided upon a life of death. Many didn't understand what being a Reaper entailed, but they seldom even thought to give it a chance. So the fact that there were so little Reapers was something he cherished.

Kariya had visited the Pad often enough that the entertainment there was lost on him and boring. The glass floors had always given him an odd vertigo since he had first stepped into the room, but the neon lights drew his eye. They flickered every once and a while at an inconsistent rate.

"Koki Kariya."

He turned to face the wall behind the foosball table even though voices echoed everywhere in the room. It made listening to music a disorienting experience.

A tall figure was leaning his forearms on the table, and a complete stranger in a familiar way. He was lanky and pointed, his hair over his shoulders in choppy waves. "Nice to see you."

"You're the Conductor?" Kariya hadn't expected any familiar faces. Sakuraba had practically emptied Shibuya of its Reapers by 85%. However, there was something disconcerting about _this_ face that he couldn't place.

"For a short time, yes." The Conductor stood to his full height, which was considerable, but not awkward. "How's life as a Reaper, Kariya?"

"Sometimes, exactly how I expected it," he answered, sliding his hand into his pocket. Where was it? There.

"Has it been worth it?"

Kariya tightened his grip on his iPod, and for a few moments, hardly moved. "I thought so when I made my decision. Nothing has changed."

The Conductor nodded, pale eyes not moving from his face for a moment. "I called you specifically to ask a question you already know the answer to," he said slowly, calmly.

"I don't doubt it."

"Does the rank of officer hold any appeal for you?" It appeared as if all of this was simple courtesy, and yet Kariya's instincts told him it was a test. Despite that, he was still tired of hearing so many different variations of the same question.

"No."


End file.
